The Second Lord, lying on the ground, remained motionless.
As Luke lightly touched his forehead with his fingertips, the body split into two, the earth cracked open, and the sky tore apart.
Siron struggled to make sense of the scene before his eyes.
‘…What did I just see?’
It was incomprehensible.
The sight was that shocking.
Battle is supposed to be a balancing act of power between opponents.
That’s why battles between Lords are always desperately avoided.
When continental-level powers like the Lords clash, the scale of the conflict is different, and the mere aftermath can devastate the surrounding area.
However, what Siron witnessed was embarrassing to even call a battle.
He couldn’t even discern what had happened with his own eyes.
Quietly standing there, Luke muttered something, and moments later, the Second Lord was split in half and died.
The fact that the Second Lord, infamous among the Lords, was assassinated without any resistance caused the blood to drain from Siron’s face.
In the eerie silence, Siron eventually came to terms with the reality.
Luke Richter, the first in the empire to ascend to the rank of Sixth Lord, had just killed Mingjuek, another Lord.
‘…Just how strong is he?’
Could he possibly be stronger than the royal guardians or the Sword Lord dukes, of whom there are only three in the empire?
Of course, it was only a wild guess, but the scene he had just witnessed was so shocking that he couldn’t shake off his doubts.
Siron struggled to calm the confusion and awe that overwhelmed him as he quietly spoke.
“Lord Sixth.”
“…?”
“What do you plan to do now?”
The Second Lord was dead.
The death of a Lord was unprecedented.
In the past, there had been instances where the Grand Lord personally executed a Lord, but it was the first time one Lord had been killed at the hands of another.
Since this was an unprecedented event, there was no manual to follow, and it was impossible to predict the repercussions of the Second Lord’s death.
For Siron, who had simply come to guide the way, this situation was like a bolt from the blue.
To be honest, it was a disaster.
Who could have imagined that the Second Lord would suddenly appear in this abandoned village? And who could have predicted that the Sixth Lord would deliberately kill him?
Moreover, the reason for the murder wasn’t clear.
Judging by the situation, it seemed the deaths of the villagers had triggered his anger, an event that, while reinstating a more human side to the Sixth Lord, also created an undeniable incident.
There was no way to confront the Sixth Lord about it, so the only thing Siron could do was to help plan for what was to come.
One thing was certain: the Lord Council wouldn’t let this go unnoticed, especially since there was insufficient justification for the Sixth Lord’s killing of the Second Lord within the Second Lord’s domain.
“…This won’t blow over easily.”
“Yes, it won’t.”
“Do you have any specific plans?”
“Not really.”
…Not really?
He feigned calmness and asked again.
“Have you perhaps discussed anything with the Grand Lord?”
“No.”
“Any justification you could put forward?”
“Not really.”
Siron felt a cold sweat run down his back.
“What… what exactly…”
Confused, he glanced at the two girls who had accompanied the Sixth Lord, but their wide-eyed gazes indicated that they had no idea what the problem was and seemed entirely uninterested in any plans.
Luke, walking ahead, quietly said to the flustered Siron,
“Do you intend to keep standing there?”
“That’s…”
“The Council is something you don’t need to worry about. I’ll handle it. All you need to do is properly take care of the bodies of the villagers and ensure they receive a proper burial. Send the Second Lord’s body back to the Guild HQ immediately.”
Siron clenched his lips tightly.
How could he possibly say anything? What the hell was he thinking when he did that?
What would the Grand Lord think when he hears about this later — that the Sixth Lord not only pillaged a ruin in someone else’s territory but also killed a Lord? Would he not be furious?
Even if the situation was explained, they would likely counter with, “What’s the big deal about a few dead humans?”
That’s what Lords were — beings who could slaughter civilians for entertainment without anyone truly questioning them.
While the fact that a ruin was looted might somehow be hidden, the death of the Second Lord was not something that could be concealed.
As much as Siron wanted to suggest hiding the body of the Second Lord, he knew Luke’s decision wouldn’t change.
Thus, Siron’s reply was predetermined.
“…I understand, Lord Sixth.”
*
Time passed.
After concluding the matter in the Second Lord’s domain, Luke canceled his planned visit to the duchy and returned directly to Blackmore.
Meanwhile, Siron followed Luke’s instructions: properly arranging the funerals of the deceased villagers. He sent the split body of the Second Lord back to the Guild HQ, but no response had yet come.
It was an unforeseen situation; they surely needed some time to figure out what had happened.
Shortly after, a man arrived.
Identifying himself as Qing, the direct successor of the Grand Lord, he revealed his purpose with a cold voice.
“The Grand Lord sends this message: Sixth Lord Luke Richter must visit Guild HQ immediately.”
The reason was clear.
It was a summons to hold him accountable for the death of the Second Lord.
It was expected, so Luke acquiesced calmly.
As Luke placed his hand on the scroll that Qing had unfurled, the space twisted, and a light radiated. When the light subsided, they were in the central square of the Guild HQ.
Qing immediately led Luke to the conference room, the heavy silence lingering in the corridors.
Qing glanced at Luke.
His expression was so calm it was hard to believe he had caused such a disturbance.
Even in a situation where his life might be endangered depending on the Grand Lord’s mood, Luke was remarkably composed.
Qing couldn’t determine if it was because Luke was truly the strongest or simply because he had no worries.
Still, it wasn’t his business to understand Luke’s demeanor, so Qing quietly focused on his guiding duties.
They arrived at the conference room at the end of the long corridor. Upon seeing Qing, the heavily armored knights guarding the entrance parted their ranks to allow them in.
As they approached the door, the pressure in the air grew heavier. It was caused by the dense accumulation of mana, with its source being the Lords gathered inside the room.
Qing sighed softly before cautiously speaking.
“All the Lords have gathered to discuss your handling of the situation.”
“…”
“Please make a wise choice. For the sake of the favor the Grand Lord has shown you, please persuade them wisely.”
Luke simply nodded his head slightly toward the door, indicating he wanted it opened.
The door swung open, revealing the grand conference room.
The white marble columns held up the ceiling, and between them, faint blue magical lamps emitted a gentle glow.
In the center stood a massive hexagonal stone table. The emotionless face of First Lord Ekion could be seen, and next to him, Third Lord Kalen glanced at Luke with a slight smirk.
Fourth Lord, with cobalt-colored hair, stared at Luke with sharp eyes, while Fifth Lord, with long black hair, rested his chin on his hand with an air of ease.
Grand Lord Arkhan sat on a raised platform above the rest. Next to her, four Lords occupied their respective seats, but the place where Second Lord Mingjuek should have been was empty.
“There’s an empty spot there. That’s your seat as the Sixth Lord, now sit down. We have much to discuss.”
Luke sat down expressionlessly as all the Lords’ gazes turned toward him, yet he showed no signs of nervousness.
Meanwhile, Arkhan observed him with a complex expression.
‘What do I do about this?’
When she first heard about the death of the Second Lord, she was astonished.
She had known he was going on a trip, but not that it involved the abandoned village in the Second Lord’s domain. It was completely unexpected that he would encounter and kill the Second Lord.
The sight of the Second Lord’s body, split in half, was so striking that it demonstrated without a doubt how strong the Sixth Lord truly was.
This situation stood as follows:
The Second Lord had known that Luke had entered his domain.
Thinking to pick a fight with an intruder on his territory, the Second Lord had gone to the abandoned village alone— something he was known to do with other Lords.
During this encounter, the Second Lord had also killed the civilians connected to Luke, which became the trigger.
Of course, within the Second Lord’s domain, the deaths of these villagers were within his authority, so no legal issue could arise.
Ironically, the one who killed the Second Lord for this reason, Luke, was the one who faced execution.
‘…Seems difficult.’
Having witnessed Luke’s power, Arkhan already knew the answer.
Luke’s strength was either equal to, or surpassed, even her own.
Perhaps all the Lords combined might have been able to execute him, but the damage from such a battle would be immense.
‘Most importantly, I can’t afford to lose a person of this caliber.’
Hence, she had already made the decision.
Handle this mess appropriately and move on.
For the sake of the Council’s reputation, some form of discipline was necessary.
In exchange for covering up this matter, she intended to place a debt on Luke so she could request favors from him in the future.
‘The tradeoff is worth it.’
The Second Lord, that troublemaker who would never listen, gave her headaches constantly. Now, with his death, a more powerful and promising Lord had arisen, making this change a profit rather than a loss.
“With that, let’s begin, shall we?”
And so, Arkhan began the meeting with a pleasant smile.
“Skipping to the main point, Sixth Lord visited the Second Lord’s territory without prior warning, concealed his identity, looted ruins, and ended up killing the Second Lord. Is there anything you’d like to refute?”
“No.”
Of course not.
Arkhan maintained a stern expression as she continued.
“The body showed one-hit kill marks.”
At Arkhan’s words, all the Lords turned their gaze to Luke, slightly shocked. They knew he had killed the Second Lord, but the revelation that it had occurred with a single strike was new to them.
“Correct.”
“So, this wasn’t an accident during a battle, but rather premeditated?”
“Correct.”
“Isn’t that a bit too bold?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Problem? Of course, there is. You killed a Lord, Sixth Lord. Unless there’s some justifiable reason, it seems the Second Lord’s side holds greater legal justification.”
The air grew noticeably colder, but Luke remained composed.
It seemed as if he was secretly welcoming this situation.
“Agreed.”
“What?”
“Thus, I will take responsibility.”
Suddenly standing while smiling, Luke made his declaration.
“I intend to step down from my position as Lord.”
“…What?”
“This is a responsibility I must bear. So, I intend to step down from my position as Lord.”
“…”
…What?
This couldn’t happen.
